Review by JoJo Anthony
Photos by Joe Schaeffer
What do you get when you pair a guitarist with a guy from Texas who plays guitar? You’re getting one of the best rock ‘n’ roll collaborations of 2022. Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton are currently touring in support of their EP, The Stardust Sessions. Her performance at Whiskey is by far one of the hottest and most exciting shows going on right now.
I didn’t know Dayton who had worked with some of country’s biggest artists like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and the great Willie Nelson. He’s a classic country picker with a flair for rockabilly shredders. I have to admit I wasn’t very familiar with Fish either until I saw her performance just two months ago. I became an instant fan after that. Mixing blues, rock and country, their set of classic covers and original material stunned a sell-out crowd at the popular Hollywood venue.
Both Fish and Dayton are accomplished guitarists and their styles go well together. Fish with slide guitar know-how and Dayton with his Texas fast picking attack complement each other perfectly. Watching both of them on stage together was a lot of fun.
The duo, backed by a fantastic support band, opened the set with a cover of Vince Taylor’s 1959 classic Brand New Cadillac. Some rock lovers may recall that The Clash covered the song on their 1979 album London is calling. This version was cheered up and featured the duo sharing vocals as well as some fantastic guitar licks. A video for the song is currently doing the rounds on the internet.
The set included some classic blues and soul songs like Fish’s rendition of the 1963 Barbara Lewis hit “Hello Stranger” which is just great. Her vocals have a torchlight quality – extremely sultry and sexy. In honor of their performance at Whisky, the duo covered “Seven And Seven Is” by popular late ’60s band Love, who performed there frequently. Of course, they had to dust X’s “Burning House of Love” off their 1985 album Love isn’t great. Dayton toured with X in 2016, filling in for guitarist Billy Zoom.
One of my personal highlights of the evening was the cover of the Slim Harpo song “Shake Your Hips”. Some Rolling Stones fans may remember a cover of this song from the 1972s Exile on the main street. This version was performed as a medley that led into AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie.” I have to admit I’ve never heard AC/DC do a Texas boogie shuffle, but I absolutely loved it.
Fish’s “Bulletproof” from their 2019 release, Kill or be nice was my favorite. With her signature cigar box guitar, Fish delivered a performance reminiscent of the great Bonnie Raitt. It was definitely a crowd pleaser and understandably what makes Fish such an amazing number.
The duo took some time out to play a few acoustic numbers, including a beautiful rendition of Townes Van Zandt’s “I’ll Be Here In The Morning”. The vocal harmonies were just perfect and the audience was captivated.
Samantha Fish has a loyal following. The sold out audience was filled with people who were dedicated fans and having a good time. Dayton and Fish are one of the most exciting acts with an album in the works right now. The Stardust Sessions should only improve her career.
If you get a chance to see them both on tour I guarantee you will have a great time. The show features some great songs, amazing guitar work and a band that delivers the goods.
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